Saturday, June 04, 2005

John Tatsey

The earliest Tatsey in the 1907-1908 “Blackfeet Heritage” genealogy book is Joseph Tatsey, at that time 43 years old. He was half-Blood (Canadian Blackfeet), a quarter Piegan. His father was a full-blood named “Not Real Good” or “Man of Massacre.” His mother was Susan Tatsey who took her allotment under the name of Susan Campbell. She was half Piegan through her mother. Her father was John Libby.

“Not Real Good” had a full sister named “Medicine Snake,” whom we know as Natawista. She is the heroine of several novels and was married to Alexander Culbertson, the fur-trader. At the point of this census, she is the widow of her second husband, Roberts, and lives in Cincinnati, while Culbertson lives in Fort Peck. She was exceptionally intelligent and beautiful so we can probably assume that her nephew, Joseph Tatsey, was similiarly endowed.

Joseph Tatsey’s sister was Louise, who married Robert Tingley. She is a half-sister, as her father is John Campbell.

Joseph Tatsey’s wife was Annie, 37 years old, half Piegan. They were married March 2, 1889, by “the” priest. Her father was “Pete,” a Frenchman raised by Louis Langley. Her mother was “Always Singing,” full Piegan. Annie’s half brother was Double Blaze Jackson (They shared “Always Singing” as mother.) Her half-sister was Louise Many Kills, wife of Charles Chouquette.

The children of Joseph Tatsey are:
Josephine, born March 29, 1890, at home.
Hattie Tatsey, born July 4, 1892, at the Mission.
John Tatsey, born January 26, 1894, at the Mission.
Joseph Tatsey, born June 6, 1986, at the Mission.
Elizabeth Tatsey, born July 24, 1899, at the Mission.
David Tatsey, born October 9, 1901, at home.
Irving Tatsey, born January 8, 1904, at home.
Mary Tatsey, born March 19, 1906, at home.
George Tatsey, born March 22, 1908.

The family lived on a ranch on Birch Creek, the southern boundary of the reservation. They have about a square mile under fence, but they are outside of the government fence.

Notice that there are some pretty important people on this list. If you made a list of Tatseys in today’s Blackfeet Reservation phone book, you would also come up with some pretty important people. But the one that everyone knows about was John Tatsey, who served the Heart Butte community as a policeman for decades and also wrote a column about the doin’s in that little foothill village for the Glacier Reporter.

John’s Indian name was supposed to be “Black Moccasin” so that was the title given to the paperback compilation of his columns that Paul T. DeVore made, illustrated by Albert Racine, with a foreword by Mike Mansfield, who occasionally read some of Tatsey’s columns into the Congressional Record. Mansfield says, “I especially treasure the writing of my old friend John Tatsey. His colorful accounts carry with them the true flavor of his time and place. The epic doings of Stoles Head Carrier and Tom Lame Bear assure me that no matter what becomes of the Federal budget or all of the problems of war and peace, life goes on at Heart Butte with all its everyday pleasures and follies and complications -- and above all, with the wry humor which the eyes of John Tatsey behold.

“Not long ago on the floor of the United States Senate, I had occasion to refer to John Tatsey as a modern day Will Rogers. So he is. For like Will Rogers, he reduces his observations to earthy commentaries that have a ring of truth for everyone. He pokes fun at life in general and makes us all chuckle a bit at our own absurdities. We are all better off for it.”

Actually, John’s father’s Indian name was “Weasel Necklace,” and John claimed that name himself. John’s only education was at a mission school. As a young man, he did farm work and in his early twenties operated a freighting business with horses. When machines replaced horses, he started a cattle ranch. In 1918 he married Belle Alveraz Racine, half-Sioux, whose maternal grandfather was a brother to Sitting Bull. Her father was a Spaniard and served as a cook on the steamboats that went up and down the Missouri between St. Louis and Fort Benton. The couple had two sons and a daughter. The older son was killed in the South Pacific during WWII. The pair also raised seven of Belle’s children by a former marriage.

Tatsey’s columns came out of his vocation as the tribal policeman in Heart Butte, a tiny village near the Rockies where old ways held on in spite of drunkenness and violence. His columns note a mixture of the two, more like Steinbeck’s “Tortilla Flats” than Will Rogers, if you ask me.

See what you think:

“Levi Aims Back was picked up Sunday night back of Geo. Wippert’s place where he was hung up by one leg on a barbed wire fence. More fences would help the police.”

“Stoles Head Carrier was put up in city jail Sunday night. The boys inside were watching Stoles being searched and nothing much. He picked a pint from the overlap of his belly.”

“There are some women around with patched faces and some colored. That’s because their husbands love them so much. That’s the way Indian makes love. He beats heck out of his wife.”

“The police force have no mercy. Last weekend the Heart Butte trapper went to town in his trapping clothes, gum boots, and late Saturday evening was wading down the main stream in Browning looking for beaver signs. When the paddy wagon came by and took him for no trapper permit. Something was wrong -- he did not know where he was till Monday morning before Judge Scriver.”

“Perry Spotted Eagle, the changeable man, something got into his mind and he went to church last Sunday. That was a good turn he made.”

“Tuesday Heart Butte school put on a party for the basketball team where they served a very nice lunch for the boys and parents and teachers. Mr. LaRue, teacher and coach, gave out the awards to the boys. Rev. Father Steinmetz from Valier made a very nice talk on sports and other games which the boys play. Heart Butte boys were sure interested. They heard some things they will keep in their minds.”

20 comments:

Levi said...

wheres Catherine Cecilia Tatsey daughter of my Great Great Grandmother Annie Hibbard Tatsey

Mary Strachan Scriver said...

Levi, I have very limited genealogy information. Your best bet is to call Roxanne DeMarce in Browning. 338-7733. She knows a lot more than I do.

Prairie Mary

Anonymous said...

Okay. The photo I have of Joseph Tatsey (I) shows him as a tall, handsome man, just as the writer guessed. His wife, Annie Langley Tatsey, was slighter, with lithe hair and pale skin, dark eyes. The photo is from the 90's, because John, my grandfather, is a toddler.

Where's Aunt Kate in the list (Catherine Tatsey who married Alfred Bouttier?) She was John's baby sister, as I remember.

And does anybody know where the name Tatsey came from? Is it Anglicized Blackfeet, French? Danish?

Anonymous said...

dear caid donelly the word "tatsey" is derived from a blackfeet word ,uh-to-tathtsi (tried my best to spell it)which means "many children".

Anonymous said...

dear caid donelly the word "tatsey" is derived from a blackfeet word ,uh-to-tathtsi (tried my best to spell it)which means "many children".

Mary Strachan Scriver said...

Dear J.Tatsey, I'm delighted to have this information about what Tatsey means! Maybe the modern version ought to have a word inserted: "Many SUCCESSFUL Children"! In fact, Tatsey women in particular are often so strong and successful that I tease people about the "Tatsey-akis"! Not quite a tribe, but surely enough for a "band."

Prairie Mary

Anonymous said...

my name is theresa bevrly jackson-double blaze jackson i would like to know more about annie tatsey and her brother double blaze/jackson, my father came from that blood line his name was joseph jackson my grand parents are louie and annie jackson of heart butte i would like very much to know if john and annie had a picture of double blaze jackson

jacksonb said...

my name is theresa jackson i would like to know if john and annie ever took a picture with double blaze jackson i would like to to know more about my family blood line, my father was joseph jackson and his parents were louie and annie jackson

mscriver said...

Theresa, I don't have any answers for your questions, but I posted them here in case someone else comes across this post and actually knows.

In the meantime, if I DO come across info about this, I'll post it here.

Prairie Mary

thesovereignpost@yahoo.com said...

Oki Prairiemary:

Tsenatopi my friend?

For your information, I'm using this post and some, or more of the posted responses as part of the introduction for a new online newsletter, which I'm putting out on behalf of a group that I have. The group is called, The Red Nation Society.

I will properly cite this page and you as the author and I'll even send you a complete copy in PDF format.

If anyone else would like a copy, email me at, trnsnews@yahoo.com

Thank you Mary, you are a great writer and knowledgeable historian of our tribe.

Sincerely,

Calvin Tatsey

Mary Strachan Scriver said...

Calvin, good to hear from you and hear about your worthy project! Every good wish for lots of enthusiastic readers!

Prairie Mary

Anonymous said...

Dear Jackson, There is a book called "Montana 1911" which is a diary of a doctor and his wife who stayed with Joseph Tatsey or another Tatsey, but it mentions Double Blaze, the book is filled with pictures so u might want to look there.

levi said...

aye everybody this is levi you all are my famly please contact me my great grandfather was alfred id like to get to kno more of my famly

Lizabeth (Staber) Shelman said...

you are missing 2 of Joseph and Annie's children.

Katherine Cecilia Tatsey born May 9, 1910
Woodrow Tatsey born in 1912

My mom is Elizabeth Ann daughter of Alfred Bouttier and Katherine Tatsey.

Anonymous said...

hello....this info is very interesting to me as my last name is Tatsey as well. I would like to know more and see if there is any connection between me and the names listed. How would i go about this?

Anonymous said...

Prairie Mary,
I am on the other side of the mountains from you. I have been going thru old Hungry Horse News newspapers for a friend, and encountered John Tatsey's columns. I think they are great and understand they have been put together in a book. I was wondering if you knew where I might find the book. The columns have been in 1960--62 papers.
I have saved all I have found for my friend who is researching the North Fork. Mr. Tatsey was a remarkable person.
I am not familiar with blogs so will check back here to see if there is an email where I can contact you. I could not find one.
thanks!

Mary Strachan Scriver said...

mary dot scriver at gmail dot com

You can use Google to find my email address. I'm in Valier in the phone book. The name of the book of John Tatsey columns is "Black Moccasin." You can sometimes find it on the used book websites like abebooks.com or alibris.com.

John was certainly colorful. Whether he was admirable is up for grabs. As for what he wrote, standards have changed over the years.

Mary Scriver

Anonymous said...

My name is Amanda Tatsey and my grandfather is John Tatsey. He is from France. My grandmother is Carol Tatsey she is from Ireland. How many Tatseys are there?

Mary Strachan Scriver said...

Amanda, this is not a question I can answer! In fact, I doubt whether anyone could come up with a census sort of number. So one must say something like, "There are not enough Tatseys!" The ones here are so strong (esp. the women) that I call them "Tatsey-aki" and joke that they may start their own tribe.

Prairie Mary

Anonymous said...

My nephew, Zachary, is the son of John Tatsey, last known to live in Clarkston, Washington. Zachary is enrolled somewhere, but we do not know where. Can anyone help?
Thanks